Avoiding Your Potential?

Don’t do it is the best advice I can give you. Why act like a lamb when you need to roar like a lion. As I have worked and ascended the ranks of employment I’ve seen so many languish and fall by the wayside. Why? Because they avoid their potential. Why would people do this?

Some people avoid their potential because they want to continue to fit in with their cohorts. They don’t want to be the one sneered at or called a traitor. Other’s avoid their potential simply because they can not see the forest for the trees. They are blind to the events that are happening around them that can have a direct impact on them. For them life is like being in a major tornado producing thunderstorm, yet ignoring all of the sirens that should prompt you to get to safety. They are oblivious. However, the strongest and most prevalent reason, one people don’t like to admit, is that they do not want the responsibility that comes with achievement.

It’s very counterproductive to want the rewards of those that strive to reach their potential, yet not wanting the responsibility it takes to reap the rewards. There are no real shortcuts. You can learn to do things easier, and to make processes better, but you have to be willing to accept responsibility if you want to achieve more. You have to accept the responsibility for being on time, completing assigned work, having a desire to be a great employee, being a positive influence in the office, not falling prey murmuring, and maintaining an attitude of can do.

Everyone is not meant to be a manager. Everyone is not meant to be a front line worker. Each has its own level of responsibility. Some will lead. Some will follow. It should be your goal to strive towards the highest potential possible in regards to position. From doing so often and most times does come promotion. Promotion does not mean you become a supervisor. It could be promotion in freedoms that you did not have before, or promotion to another department where your employee level is still the same, but the department could be more prestigious.

To tie this back in to the lamb and lion analogy I set up let me end with this. Sheep are comfortable where they are when they are there. They only move when herded to a new area. Lions go where they can feed when they are hungry. They don’t stay in the same dry place. When lions are hungry they roar letting others know. When you’re hungry to rise you need to roar. I’m not talking about kicking down a door stating that you’re ready to replace so and so because they do a lousy job. I speaking of letting your talents and abilities shine so that you roar loud and clear that your potential is more than what you are doing, and that you are ready to go further.